There Is A Huge Difference In Factoring Companies.

Here's How To Select The Best One For Your Business.

You might think that all factoring companies do the same thing- give you cash for your invoices. Well, that's true, but some companies actually go above and beyond to give you first class service.

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New to Factoring?

For those who aren't familiar with factoring, it is basically a fast way to get cash to run your business.

Factoring is Not a Loan

When you send your customers an invoice, they usually have 30 days to pay you back. Factoring companies will give you the bulk of the cash up front, sometimes within 24 hours, and collect the payments from your customers themselves. Once the invoices are paid in full, you’ll get the balance left over, minus a small fee.

Factoring Doesn't Require Debt

So how do you go about choosing the best factoring company?

Not all of them are created equal. Not all of them will give you the same level of service you need to help grow your business.

Everyone claims they have the simplest rate structure in the industry, no long-term contracts, same day funding, no up-front fees, no monthly minimums or maximums, etc., etc., etc.

We also offer these same benefits, but we GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR YOU that other factoring companies don’t.

Here’s Why We Are The Factoring Company You Need For Your Business

No other factoring company matches our level of superior service and offerings.

Financially Strong

We have been in business since 1979, are privately held, and have a proven track record of being financially strong. We have survived many economic downturns and in doing so, can help you through any difficult times you might encounter. We won’t go out of business when the times get tough, like some other factoring companies regretfully have in the past.

Part of a Vast Network

Every factoring company has a preference for size, industry, and risk. It’s impossible for you to know which company is the best fit for you. By contacting us, we can save you a tremendous amount of time by helping you find the best match for your business - whether it’s with us or another company.

We have a vast network of industry colleagues that we’ve built over 20+ years in the business. So, when you take the time to explain your needs to us, we can be the “one stop shop” to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

No Minimum

Most factoring companies will allow you to pick & choose customers to factor, however they usually have a minimum amount before they’ll work with you. With us, you can pick & choose what to factor on an invoice by invoice basis with no minimum.

Our factoring agreement is like carrying a credit card in your pocket. You carry it to use when you need it but don’t sign an agreement which will force you into factoring when you don’t need it.

Transparent Fees

Most factoring companies are not upfront about their fees. We are different. We are totally transparent about our fees. When you apply, you are provided a transparent, no obligation rate proposal with the fee for your company.

Our typical contract term is 90 days and we offer price breaks for extended term contracts as well as volume discounts. Optional services include $7/ACH for next-day funds sent electronically to your bank account or $12/wire for same-day funds. Invoices can be scanned and electronically uploaded directly to our secure server for $9/batch. In instances when original invoices are required, we offer discounted rates with Federal Express to submit your invoices.

That’s it! See which other factoring company, if any, will be totally up front with their fees before they try and get your business.

Higher Advance Rates

An “advance” rate is the percent of the invoice face value that you’ll receive upfront. Industry average advance rates are 70-90% of the face value of the invoice. So, for example, if your customer owes you $1,000, you should expect to receive an advance payment of $700 to $900 to your account. Our typical advance rates are higher than average - at 85-97% depending on industry and payment track record.

Personalized Solutions

We are not beholden to Wall Street investor money. We are a privately held company and don’t answer to investors or boards. We are like-minded entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to run a business. We take the time to hear your story, learn your struggles, and put together a solution for you rather than relying on an algorithm to determine your company’s value. Who do you want to rely on as a cash flow partner to fund your business?

Dedicated Account Administrators

Many factoring companies have either a lot of employee turnover, a complex voice mail system that you get lost in or operate call centers where you talk with a new representative every time you call in. We offer dedicated account administrators to be your point of contact – who knows your business intimately, and can help you in ways others just can’t.

Industry Veterans

We have been in business since 1979 and have staff who are dedicated to working in this industry as a career. We are veterans in this industry and can provide additional business guidance and resources as needed.

Our Business is Your Business

We establish a mutual risk tolerance to avoid putting you in the position to ever have to buy back an invoice. We also keep track of each invoice and follow them like your own credit and collections department would. Once they hit the payment date we place friendly reminder calls and/or emails on your behalf and keep notes as to when it is scheduled to be paid, and send copies if needed until payment is received.

Payment Trend Alerts

You will have access to online aging reports and your dedicated account administrator is kept in the loop and given advance notice of any collection issues so there are no surprises.

Up-to-Date Customer Credit History

You get direct online access to your customer’s business credit reports, or you can call and speak with your account administrator – your choice. Stay ahead of negative payment trends. This is critical to running your business and filling your next order.

Leading Edge Technology

We make strides to incorporate the latest technology to expedite the funding process, such as electronic submission of invoices, online reports, online credit checking and other emerging methods to streamline the process and reduce overhead, which means lower rates for you. Most other companies don’t even come close.

Financially Strong

We have been in business since 1979, are privately held, and have a proven track record of being financially strong. We have survived many economic downturns and in doing so, can help you through any difficult times you might encounter. We won’t go out of business when the times get tough, like some other factoring companies regretfully have in the past.

Part of a Vast Network

Every factoring company has a preference for size, industry, and risk. It’s impossible for you to know which company is the best fit for you. By contacting us, we can save you a tremendous amount of time by helping you find the best match for your business - whether it’s with us or another company.

We have a vast network of industry colleagues that we’ve built over 20+ years in the business. So, when you take the time to explain your needs to us, we can be the “one stop shop” to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

No Minimum

Most factoring companies will allow you to pick & choose customers to factor, however they usually have a minimum amount before they’ll work with you. With us, you can pick & choose what to factor on an invoice by invoice basis with no minimum.

Our factoring agreement is like carrying a credit card in your pocket. You carry it to use when you need it but don’t sign an agreement which will force you into factoring when you don’t need it.

Transparent Fees

Most factoring companies are not upfront about their fees. We are different. We are totally transparent about our fees. When you apply, you are provided a transparent, no obligation rate proposal with the fee for your company.

Our typical contract term is 90 days and we offer price breaks for extended term contracts as well as volume discounts. Optional services include $7/ACH for next-day funds sent electronically to your bank account or $12/wire for same-day funds. Invoices can be scanned and electronically uploaded directly to our secure server for $9/batch. In instances when original invoices are required, we offer discounted rates with Federal Express to submit your invoices.

That’s it! See which other factoring company, if any, will be totally up front with their fees before they try and get your business.

Higher Advance Rates

An “advance” rate is the percent of the invoice face value that you’ll receive upfront. Industry average advance rates are 70-90% of the face value of the invoice. So, for example, if your customer owes you $1,000, you should expect to receive an advance payment of $700 to $900 to your account. Our typical advance rates are higher than average - at 85-97% depending on industry and payment track record.

Personalized Solutions

We are not beholden to Wall Street investor money. We are a privately held company and don’t answer to investors or boards. We are like-minded entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to run a business. We take the time to hear your story, learn your struggles, and put together a solution for you rather than relying on an algorithm to determine your company’s value. Who do you want to rely on as a cash flow partner to fund your business?

Dedicated Account Administrators

Many factoring companies have either a lot of employee turnover, a complex voice mail system that you get lost in or operate call centers where you talk with a new representative every time you call in. We offer dedicated account administrators to be your point of contact – who knows your business intimately, and can help you in ways others just can’t.

Industry Veterans

We have been in business since 1979 and have staff who are dedicated to working in this industry as a career. We are veterans in this industry and can provide additional business guidance and resources as needed.

Our Business is Your Business

We establish a mutual risk tolerance to avoid putting you in the position to ever have to buy back an invoice. We also keep track of each invoice and follow them like your own credit and collections department would. Once they hit the payment date we place friendly reminder calls and/or emails on your behalf and keep notes as to when it is scheduled to be paid, and send copies if needed until payment is received.

Payment Trend Alerts

You will have access to online aging reports and your dedicated account administrator is kept in the loop and given advance notice of any collection issues so there are no surprises.

Up-to-Date Customer Credit History

You get direct online access to your customer’s business credit reports, or you can call and speak with your account administrator – your choice. Stay ahead of negative payment trends. This is critical to running your business and filling your next order.

Leading Edge Technology

We make strides to incorporate the latest technology to expedite the funding process, such as electronic submission of invoices, online reports, online credit checking and other emerging methods to streamline the process and reduce overhead, which means lower rates for you. Most other companies don’t even come close.

As you can see, we simply have more to offer you.

Other factoring companies don’t even compare.

And Not All Factoring Companies Can Say This:

More than half of our new business comes through client referrals.

So, Can Your Company Use Factoring?

Of Course! Companies of all sizes, from small privately-owned companies to large multi-national corporations, use factoring as a way to increase their cash flow. Factoring spans all industries, including trucking, transportation, manufacturing and distribution, textiles, oil and gas, staffing agencies and more.

Companies use the cash generated from factoring to pay for inventory, buy new equipment, add employees, expand operations—basically any expenses related to their business. Factoring allows a company to make quicker decisions and expand at a faster pace.

Unlike a bank loan, factoring has…

No principle or interest to pay over time

No debt to repay

Unlimited funding potential – no caps

Fast funding – no waiting months like at a bank

Approval is based on the strength of your clients, not your credit

Startups are welcome in using funding services

Some of the benefits you receive with factoring are:

Stop worrying about cash flow issues and start spending more time on your business.

No need to make monthly payments to repay a loan.

Receive money in as soon as two to four days – or sooner.

Reduce business costs associated with the collection process.

Win the battle against slow-paying clients.

Get instant credit evaluations for new customers.

Have complete control over your cash flow by deciding which invoices to sell and when.

Enjoy bulk-purchasing discounts or early payment discounts by having extra cash.

Improve your credit rating by having cash on hand to pay bills on time.

You get complete and detailed reports about your accounts receivable portfolio.

Provides cash for your expansion.

Provides cash for your marketing.

Improves your overall financial statement.

Stop worrying about cash flow issues and start spending more time on your business.

No need to make monthly payments to repay a loan.

Receive money in as soon as two to four days – or sooner.

Reduce business costs associated with the collection process.

Win the battle against slow-paying clients.

Get instant credit evaluations for new customers.

Have complete control over your cash flow by deciding which invoices to sell and when.

Enjoy bulk-purchasing discounts or early payment discounts by having extra cash.

Improve your credit rating by having cash on hand to pay bills on time.

You get complete and detailed reports about your accounts receivable portfolio.

Provides cash for your expansion.

Provides cash for your marketing.

Improves your overall financial statement.

Now you know everything you need about the factoring business.

And you know why we are the best fit for your business. We give you the first-class service your business deserves. Give us a call today and let us help you get the cash you need to operate your business effectively. But hurry! Every minute you wait is a lost opportunity.

Call us today and let us help you get the cash you need to operate your business effectively.

Providence is the capital and most populous city in Rhode Island. Founded in 1636, it is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is located in Providence County, and is the third largest city in the New England region after Boston and Worcester. Providence has a city population of 177,994 and is part of the 37th largest metropolitan population in the country, with an estimated population of 1,600,856, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60%, as it extends into southern Massachusetts.

This can be considered in turn to be part of the Greater Boston commuting area, which contains 7.6 million people.The city is situated at the mouth of the Providence River, at the head of Narragansett Bay.Providence was founded by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of ""God's merciful Providence"", which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle. After being one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware industry.

Today, the city of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains significant manufacturing activity.Once nicknamed the ""Beehive of Industry"", Providence began rebranding itself as the ""Creative Capital"" in 2009 to emphasize its educational resources and arts community. Providence was one of the first cities to industrialize in the United States. By 1830, the city had manufacturing industries in metals, machinery, textiles, jewelry, and silverware. Though manufacturing has declined, the city is still one of the largest centers for jewelry and silverware design and manufacturing. Services, in particular education, healthcare, and finance, also make up a large portion of the city's economy. Providence also is the site of a sectional center facility (SCF), a regional hub for the U.S. Postal Service.[72] Since it is the capital of Rhode Island, Providence's economy additionally consists of government services.

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Information for the state of Rhode Island

Rhode Island's traditional manufacturing economy has diversified and is now also based on services, trade (retail and wholesale), and finance. In spite of this, many of the products for which Rhode Island is famous are still being manufactured. These include jewelry, silverware, textiles, primary and fabricated metals, machinery, electrical equipment, and rubber and plastic items.

Tourism and gambling are also important. Agriculture is relatively unimportant to the economy. Most of the farmland is used for dairying and poultry raising, and the state is known for its Rhode Island Red chickens. Principal crops are nursery and greenhouse items. Commercial fishing is an important but declining industry. Narragansett Bay abounds in shellfish; flounder and porgy are also caught. Naval facilities at Newport contribute to the state's income

HOW TO GET FINANCING AND MAKE A PROFIT FROM IT

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

Factoring in the Future of a Trucking Business: A Story

John Thompson let the phone ring on his desk. He let his morning coffee cool and left his cigarette to ash itself in the tray, because he is trying to make the biggest decision ever for his trucking company. Thompson Trucking Company was at a turning point of growth and John had to decide if signing with a factoring company was the right way forward.

John’s father had started as an owner-operator and had grown Thompson Trucking Company into a fifteen trailer fleet over forty years. There had been some hard times when it seemed everything was going to go under and even John’s mother strapped herself into a cab to make hauls. His father had lived long enough to witness the price of hires drop during the recession and watch the eruption of fuel prices afterwards. Now the company was solely in John’s hands and he wanted to live to see it in better shape for his sons.

To move Thompson Trucking Company ahead into the future, he needed a steady cash flow but there was just not enough money to go around. His employees needed to be paid. They had families and household bills too. Some of the refrigerated trailers were in need of repairs and he felt to stay competitive it was also a good idea to invest in specialized haulers to be ready for the constant requests he was getting for loads of new energy and agriculture equipment. Every time he had to turn down a request, Thompson Trucking looked weak in a very strong market.

His father would have told him to wait and to take his time adding on new technology. John allowed himself a good hard chuckle. His father had been against placing GPS units in the cabs. He would say, “Why do you need the voice of some woman to tell you to get off at an exit that has been the same exit that has been there for years?” Also his father had the habit of teasing all the drivers he caught switching into automatic even though driving in automatic was much more efficient though not manly in his father’s eyes. His father days were long gone and technology was actually an important improvement for the business such as having Qualcomm to cut down on fruitless time communicating on the phone for bills of lading.

John believed a successful man is always thinking of his next step. What would be the next step for Thompson Trucking? And how would he be able to afford it? Funding was all tied up in the mortgage for the office and garage and in the fuel bills. He just finished paying off the small bank loan for installing satellite radio in the trucks for the guys.

But was factoring the answer? There was a lot he didn’t understand about the process. It sounded a lot like ninth grade algebra which just didn’t feel like it belonged as part of the trucking business. Factoring companies buy your invoices and manage your accounts receivable for a certain percentage of the invoiced amount. The factoring company gives the trucking business its payment right away which allows the business to have continuous cash flow so it can pay employees, buy fuel, and make repairs for upcoming hauls. Without the assistance of factoring, you have to wait for customers to send you the payment which is often 30 days late. In those 30 days, a trucking company can’t pay its bills and employees in invoices.

Now it was time for John to do his homework. John had heard that there were companies that charged for same day money transfers and would only advance a percentage of the money owed to your company while holding the rest in a private account if they didn’t get their bill payment within 60 or so days. Plus it was worse still if the customer didn’t pay up at all because then the factoring company would take it right out of the money supposed to be coming to you! Through the grapevine, he’d also heard about how some companies suddenly slipped you onto a sliding scale of percentages even if you had already signed a lengthy contract for maybe 3% or 7% so there you are with 10% coming as a cost to you out of the freight bill. His friend Ronnie who had a trucking business in Missouri, was run nearly into the ground by a factoring company that charged him the full freight bill on top of the factoring fees. Well, what was the point of going to a factoring company if there was shady business like that going on?

But it turned out to be quite easy. All the factoring companies he researched were open about their business practices and very friendly on the phone when he called. Their customer service actually knew things about their company and spoke in nice clear English so he could understand what was being explained. He didn’t mind signing an exclusive contract. He liked the idea of a long term commitment so he knew he wouldn’t have to bother going back and forth to different companies and wasting time filing more forms. Nobody charged him for credit checks and they offered him a fuel advance on the pick-up of the load. Many companies offered a non-recourse factoring program that suited him just fine. Also he was happy to hear how much he was offered in terms of percentages on the freight bills. It was good money.

It was really refreshing dealing with the factoring people. They were more personable than those loan managers at the bank. It seemed as though those bank people spoke another language, but these factoring guys knew the trucking business and spoke to him like a client, not like a beggar for a handout. The factoring companies didn’t worry over his credit and the debt troubles his father had had in the past of the company. Factoring was based on the credit of his customers and on their reliability which worked well for John because he and his father had built up good strong relationships over decades with their list of clients. So he knew they would understand when the factoring company contacted them for the invoices. His clients wouldn’t think poorly of Thompson Trucking and the factoring companies appeared capable of handling the accounts receivable in the same polite manner that his father had used over the years.

John stepped out of his office to let his secretary know to expect the arrival of the factoring contract shortly. He felt exhilarated by the new possibilities that would make the future of the company fun again and put the stress of the difficult times behind him. With the capabilities of this new cash flow, John could actually expand Thompson Trucking Company further across the country and perhaps even go international into Canada. His heart felt full knowing his sons wouldn’t have to worry about money because of the right decisions he had made for their trucking business.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

Invoice Factoring: Helping Temp Staffing Agencies Grow

When a temp agency is experiencing a cash flow problem, they generally have two options: the first option is to apply to a bank or other lender for a business loan, and the second is to use Invoice Factoring. In this article we'll take a look at why Invoice Factoring may be the best option.

Many companies who bill their clients have discovered that Invoice Factoring is a very effective way of addressing cash flow issues, and this is also true for temp staffing agencies. Typically, temp agencies don't get paid by their clients until such time as their job vacancy has been filled and the employee hired has actually commenced work, which means that it's very common for temp agencies to experience cash flow problems.

Any advertising required to successfully place job candidates is paid for by the temp staffing agency, meaning that they're not able to invoice their client until they've found a suitable candidate and the candidate has actually started work. So, the temp staffing agency must wait to get paid.

Why Invoice Factoring Works Well for Temp Staffing Agencies

Temp staffing agencies are typically paid per hour, with the amount due being based on the number of hours their placement has worked. Of course, during this time they still have to pay their own bills, and these might include rent, payroll, advertising costs, utilities, and so on. So, it's easy to see that this can put a big strain on a temp agency's cash flow.

Many expenses incurred by a temp staffing agency can't be put off, so the agency must be able to access cash straight away: their employees need to be paid on time, as do their rent and utility bills. All businesses require office supplies, so money must be available to keep the business running smoothly. In addition, temp agencies must have money on hand for advertising job openings. For all of these reasons, it's not either feasible or practical for a temp staffing agency to apply for a business loan, then sit, wait, and hope to be approved.

These businesses need money and they need it now; and that's why Invoice Factoring may be the perfect solution to their cash flow problem.

Explaining Invoice Factoring

When a business makes the decision to use Invoice Factoring in order to generate cash, their cash-flow problem can be resolved almost immediately. In many cases, the business can secure up to 92% of the value of their invoice within 24 hours! A word of caution though: if this is the first time the temp agency has worked with a factor it could take longer - somewhere between four and seven days.

Any temp staffing agency that's experiencing a cash flow crisis, or even agencies that only occasionally experience cash flow problems, should do as much research as they can to learn about factoring and how it might help their business grow. With this knowledge they can then consider Invoice Factoring as and when the need arises. Factoring really is the perfect way for a business to access cash money when it's most needed. In many cases, once a relationship has been established with the factor, the money will be delivered within 24 hours.

Cash When You Need It!

Of course one of the major bonuses of invoice factoring is that temp staffing agencies no longer need to worry about whether they will or won't qualify for a bank loan, because factoring will take care of their cash flow crisis. All they need to do is provide their chosen factor with the invoices they wish to sell, complete with the time-sheets for each employee, and the cash that's due and payable to them can be deposited into their bank account within 24 hours. Now, temp agencies will have no problems meeting their monthly obligations, and best of all, there'll be no need to take on new debt.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

How Medical Staffing Helps The Medical Industry

Mary Henderson sat in her office, waiting for the phone to ring. Her job was a busy one, and she had stopped all her calls and shut her door five minutes before the phone conference was set to begin just to get some time for herself. The truth was she was stressed to her breaking point. Her company Med Staff needed to hire three new people to cover the demand of their clients. The problem was, they couldn’t. They were short on funds.

Med Staff did temporary medical staffing. They employed LPN’s, RN’s, and a few others of the same ilk. Companies that needed nursing for a short amount of time paid Med Staff, and the nurses were sent over on short term contracts. Then they came back, and they were sent somewhere else.

A retirement home had contacted Mary two weeks ago, they were undergoing an expansion, and they would need temporary staffing until they could appoint permanent nurses to the shifts. Mary had known she didn’t have enough people for this, but she took the contract on anyways, figuring she could hire people. There were always a number of nurses and technicians applying for work at Med Staff, and she knew it wouldn’t be a problem to hire a few new people.

There had been a problem though. There simply wasn't enough money in the books to do it. The company was doing fine, but a quick expansion, even as small as three people, simply wasn’t going to happen, not without help.

She had gone to the bank for a loan, but they had denied her. It seemed to Mary that the only people who could get loan money from a bank were the people who didn’t need to do so. And then she had found something different, a website online about factoring. She had looked the site over, and set up the conference call.

The phone rang, she picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Mrs. Henderson?” a cheery woman’s voice asked over the phone.”

“It is.”

“Great! My name is Stacy, I’m going to help you today.”

“Okay great.” Mary said.

“I’m looking over the form you filled out, it looks like your company temporarily staffs medical professionals?”

“Yes,” Mary said. “Nurses mostly.”

“Great,” Stacy said. “And if you called me, it means you ran into a snag.”

“I took a contract to fill five places in an expanding retirement community. I have two people available but needed to hire three more. Unfortunately, we just don’t have that kind of money in the books right now. We have a few outstanding invoices yet to be paid, but until they come in, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Do you know how factoring works?” Stacy asked.

“Not really,” Mary admitted.

“Okay, well we don’t look at your business credit, we look at your clients’ credit. We know they have some time to pay bills, and we’re interested to see if they can pay those bills. If they can, we become interested in helping you out, because we think all businesses should have a fair shot to make it, and sometimes things just don’t work out.”

“This is the first time it hasn’t worked out,” Mary said. “And it’s hard.”

“I know. I hear about it every day. The cool thing about my job is I get to help fix it. So what we do, if we feel secure in our ability to help you, is we buy a piece of your accounts receivable. We aren’t just loaning you money, we’re basically becoming active in your business. That is you get the money you need right now, but we have an assurance that we get our money back, later down the road.”

Mary nodded behind her desk, even though the other woman couldn’t see her. She had never heard of factoring before she came across the site on the internet, but the way Stacy explained it certainly made sense.

The call continued, with Mary giving the information that Stacy would need. She promised to get back to her within a couple of days, and then they hung up. Mary went on with her work, and a day and a half passed.

Mary was at her desk when he phone rang then. It was Stacy.

“Good news,” she said as soon as Mary said hello. Mary couldn’t help but smile as Stacy went on. “We’re going to be able to help you out.”

“You don’t know how great it is to hear you say that,” Mary said.

“Believe me, I do,” Stacy said. “I get to say it more often than not, and I know that we’re really helping good people, and good businesses.”

“The bank, they couldn’t do anything,” Mary said, she felt salty tears stinging her eyes as they welled there.

“They aren’t built to help people like we are. They just want as much money as they can get. We want money too, because it’s a business, but if you don’t succeed, we don’t succeed, and it’s also important to us that we help people.”

“So what’s next?” Mary asked.

“Well the real answer is I fax some stuff over for you to fill out and sign, but the fun answer is your business gets the help it needs, and you keep going to work each day. Well, not the weekends.”

Mary couldn’t help but laugh. “Believe me,” she said. “I work plenty of weekends.”

Stacy laughed as well, and then got the fax number she would need. Once again the women hung up and Mary let out a long breath as she sat back in her chair. She used a tissue to dab the tears from her eyes. She knew everything was going to be okay.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

Factoring Companies - Benefits

Factoring companies offer a wide variety of benefits to businesses. Factoring companies conduct financial business by allowing a business to sell its invoices to a factor (also known as a third party business or individual.) The price that the business charges is discounted in order to sell the invoices that are currently held, and make the cash that is immediately needed for any type of expenditures involving the business. A business that has immediate cash needs, but has no cash to pay for the expenditures that has occurred often ends up going under and eventually shutting down completely. This takes a lot of jobs away from people, and can leave you working for someone else, no longer running for your business. No one wants to take this large step down from the current place that they are in. A business owner has worked incredibly hard to get to where he or she currently is, and does not deserve to have their business become obsolete. This is where the factoring companies can be a huge help to businesses.

Invoice FactoringKeep in mind that factoring companies do not use the same process as invoice discounting. Instead, invoice factoring (also called the “Assignment of Accounts Receivable” by the FASB and GAAP) is the sale of invoices, instead of invoice discounting which involves collateral in order to ensure that the individual who took out the invoice discounting loan will pay it back. Factoring is not a loan; instead, factoring is the sale of invoices in order to get immediate cash. There is no loan in the process of factoring, and you will never have to pay the money back.

Since the invoices that are sold are also called receivables, the entire process of factoring is usually called the sale of receivables. Receivable factoring is much better than trying to take a loan out from the bank. Banks charge interest on any type of loan, and although there is usually collateral, it can put you in even more debt than you currently are. In addition, factoring companies are never going to give you a loan. When a factoring company funds your discounted receivable, he or she will choose to buy the receivable, giving you cash immediately. This cash can pull your entire business out of the hole that it is currently in. Instead of taking a loan out and getting yourself further into debt, factoring allows you to simply sell your own invoices and get back most of the money that you originally put into them. Although this may seem like a bad process since you are selling valuable invoices, it is important to do, as the invoices are completely useless if your entire business goes under. Instead of trying to take a loan out to keep all of your receivables (invoices) factoring companies benefit you directly by giving you the cash you need.

Benefits of Factoring Companies / Invoice Factoring / Receivable FactoringWhen you are in a bind and really need money in order to get through the next few months, it can be very troublesome. Although the first thought in most peoples’ minds would be to visit the nearest bank as soon as possible and take out some kind of loan, this is very dangerous. Although the loan may hold your business over for the next few months, it is simply delaying the same money crunch you already had. Unless your business is making an incredible amount of money, the bank loan that you took out has increased in the price that you must pay bank. Interest on a bank loan is how the banks make money and survive. Many loans have a very high interest rate, and if you are unable to pay the loan back in a short amount of time, you are going to be in more of a money crunch than you originally were in. In order to pay back the loan, you would have to make a large amount of money in a very short time, which is unlikely if you needed to take out the loan in the first place.

Rather than bothering with bank loans that will inevitably put you back in the money hole that you were in when you took it out, factoring companies are available to help you. A factoring company is a place where businesses can place their invoices for sale at a discounted price, which will allow them to receive immediate cash. As aforementioned, this money does not need to be paid back, as it is not a loan. Keep in mind, you are not selling your business. You are selling invoices in order to keep your business growing. You will be able to get more invoices in the future when your business is back up and running, but if you do not sell these invoices, you will never be back up and running.

When you are in a money crunch, don’t put yourself back in the money hole that you are in by taking out a bank loan. Utilize factoring companies in order to get immediate cash that will help you get back up and running without putting a loan on your business.

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Why Trucking Companies Use Factoring Companies.

As the owner of your own business, you may be more than aware already of the difficulty in making sure that cash flow issues do not become a problem down the line. After all, the worst thing that can possibly happen for your business is to find yourself embroiled in a long and difficult situation that leaves you forever trying to find the cash you need on an ongoing basis.

For any business in this situation, the problem can come for waiting for work to clear up and actually be paid into your account. Invoices, checks, and the like can take some time to actually to be processed which can leave you with short-term cash flow issues. Thankfully, there are options out there for businesses to look into – and one of these is factoring companies.

Factoring companies will, in exchange for your invoices, provide you with the cash today so that you don’t need to worry about the waiting period that could make paying the bills and getting materials more difficult. With this type of setup, invoice factoring can become incredibly useful for many businesses who need to get out of a cash trap which they have found themselves in.

Because, depending on the size of the job, it can take up to 60 days for some businesses to get paid then it’s important to cover your own back and not leave yourself cash short to pay the bills. After all, how many businesses have two months revenue just lying there to cover all their expenses until they get paid?

This is especially true of trucking companies. They tend to deal with lots of invoices which means a significant amount of collection time involves business owner themselves. Trying to get paid in time can become an incredible hassle and this is why you use trucking factoring companies who are happy to help out truckers specifically.

As we all know, trucking is an incredibly large industry with many companies out there employing hundreds of drivers. Unfortunately, many of these drivers end up in money troubles because they are still waiting for work from six weeks ago to actually pay them. When this is the situation for a trucking company, turning to factoring companies for assistance might be the best choice left.

This means that a trucking company can pay the wages of the staff, keep all the trucks topped off with fuel and continue to scale, grow and expand without always waiting for the money which is taking too long to come in. Trucking Businesses running without a factoring program put in place are leaving themselves at significant risk, as competitors cash out fast and continue to expand.

There’s genuinely nothing to be worried about when it comes to using a Factoring company – they aren’t like a bank or somebody who is going to leave you with a huge pile of debt to pay back. You give them genuine invoices from work you have already finished, you are merely speeding up the payment process.In the United States, where trucking companies thrive, factoring companies are not considered borrowing in any capacity. This confidential agreement then allows both parties to profit and enjoy a comfortable future – it gives the factoring company a guaranteed asset of income to add to the list and it gives the trucking firm the needed cash that they worked hard to earn.

The trucking company provides their invoices to the factoring company. The trucking factoring company then receive the payments from the trucking company’s customers. Factoring has been around for hundreds of years and has been used for many years by many different industries – but none more so than truckers. While you may miss out on a small part of the money, something like 1-3% depending on who you work with, it means that you are getting the money today and can actually start putting the money to work.

After all, an IOU or an invoice is not going to pay for expenses, is it? For trucking companies when the money can be good one day and gone the next, it’s up to the drivers to work sensibly and to ensure they are leaving themselves with a significant amount of time and finance to get through the week until they are paid again.

So the next time your trucking business is having some short-term cash flow issues and you are spending too much time chasing slow paying clients, why not start considering using a factoring businesses as a way to get your money and give yourself a more comfortable future in the eyes of your trucking staff and your bank balance?

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

The Difference between Accounts Receivable Financing and Factoring

Today, it’s not as easy for businesses to access finance as it was in past years, and more companies are being forced to look for alternative, non banking financing options in order to access the capital they require to help their business grow.

Two of the more popular tools available to cash strapped business owners are Accounts Receivable Financing (A/R Financing) and factoring. Some business owners believe these two are the same, but there are, in fact, some small yet significant differences.

What Is Factoring?

Factoring is when a commercial finance company, also known as a factor or factoring company, purchases a business’s outstanding accounts receivable. At that time, the factor will typically advance the business somewhere between 70% and 90% of the invoice’s value. Then, once the invoice is collected from the customer, the remaining balance – minus a factoring fee – is released to the business. The factoring fee could range from between 1.5% and 5.5%. It’s calculated on the total face value of the invoice and depends on how many days the funds are in use and other aspects, like the collection risk.

When a business has a factoring contract they can usually choose which invoices they want to sell to the factor: it’s not generally an all or nothing process. Once the factor has purchased an invoice they become responsible for managing the receivable until the account has been paid. Essentially, the factor becomes the business’s accounts receivable department and credit manager, analyzing credit reports, performing credit checks, mailing invoices, and documenting payments.

What Is Accounts Receivable Financing?

Accounts Receivable Financing is more similar to a traditional bank loan, however there are some key differences. Bank loans are secured with collateral; which might be real estate, the business owner’s personal assets, or plant and equipment; whereas Accounts Receivable Financing is backed by the business’s assets related to the Accounts Receivable. When a business has an Accounts Receivable financing agreement, a borrowing base is established at each draw against which the business is able to borrow money: this would typically be between 70% and 90% of the qualified receivables.

Between 1% and 2% is typically charged as a collateral management fee against the outstanding amount, and interest is only calculated as and when the money is advanced. An invoice must be less than 90 days old in order to count towards the borrowing base, and the finance company must deem the business credit worthy. There may also be other conditions to fulfil.

So, you can see that there are many similarities between Accounts Receivable financing and factoring; however, one is the sale of an asset (receivables or invoices) to a third party, while the other is actually a loan. In many ways, though, they do act similarly. Below we’ve listed the main features of each so you can determine which would be the best fit for your company.

Accounts Receivable Financing

• Generally, Accounts Receivable Financing is not as expensive as factoring;• It can be easier to move from this type of financing to a traditional bank line of credit once a business becomes bankable again;• Typically, a minimum of $75,000 per month is required in sales to qualify, so this type of financing may not be available to small companies;• Due to the fact that the business will be required to submit all of its Accounts Receivable to the finance company, this type of financing can be less flexible than factoring.

Factoring

• It’s quite easy to qualify for factoring, and factoring is the ideal solution for start ups and financially challenged companies;• Because businesses can decide which invoices they want to sell to the factor, factoring offers more flexibility than Accounts Receivable Financing;• The company is able to track total costs on an invoice by invoice basis because factoring has a simple and straightforward fee structure.

In Conclusion

Today we see both Accounts Receivable Financing and factoring as traditional sources of financing; effective when traditional bank financing is not an option. Factoring can carry a business through a period when an immediate cash input is required.

Somewhere between 12 and 24 months most companies are generally able to repair their financial situation and once again become bankable. However, some companies in certain industries continue factoring their invoices indefinitely.An example of this is the trucking industry, which relies heavily on factoring for cash flow injections.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

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Factoring

Invoice factoring trucking factoring companies factoring companiesp> As the owner of your own business, you may be more than aware already of the difficulty in making sure that cash flow issues do not become a problem down the line. After all, the worst thing that can possibly happen for your business is to find yourself embroiled in a long and difficult situation that leaves you forever trying to find two pennies to rub together.

For any business in this situation, the problem can come for waiting for work to clear up and actually be paid into your account. Invoices, cheques and the like can take some time to actually processed which can leave you with short-term cash flow issues. Thankfully, there are options out there for businesses to look into – and one of these is factoring companies.

Factoring companies will, in exchange for your invoices, provide you with the cash today so that you don’t need to worry about the waiting period that could make paying the bills and getting materials more difficult. With this type of setup, invoice factoring can become incredibly useful for many businesses who need to get out of a cash trap which they have found themselves in.

Because, depending on the size of the job, it can take up to 60 days for some businesses to get paid then it’s important to cover your own back and not leave yourself short in that day. after all, how many businesses have two months revenue just lying there to cover all the losses until they get paid?

This is especially true of trucking companies. They tend to deal with lots of invoices which means a significant amount of running around and donkey work for the business owner themselves. Trying to get paid in time can become an incredible hassle and this is why you get specific trucking factoring companies who are happy to help out truckers specifically.

As we all know, trucking is an incredibly large industry with many companies out there employing hundreds of drivers. Unfortunately, many of these drivers can spend night in the cold or hungry as they are still waiting for work from six weeks ago to actually pay them. When this is the situation for a trucking company, turning to factoring companies for assistance might be the best choice left.

This means that a trucking company can pay the wages of the staff, keep all the vans topped up with fuel and continue to scale, grow and expand without always waiting for the never-never with money which is taking forever to arrive coming in. businesses running without a factoring model put in place are leaving themselves in significant risk, as competitors cash out fast and continue to expand.

There’s genuinely nothing to be worried about when it comes to using a Factoring company – they aren’t like a payday loan firm or somebody who is going to leave you with a huge pile of debt to apy back. Although you are technically borrowing a loan, so long as you only ever give them genuine invoices from work you have already finished you are merely speeding up the payment process.

In the United States, where trucking companies thrive, factoring companies are not considered borrowing in any capacity. This confidential agreement then allows both parties to profit and enjoy a comfortable future – it gives the factoring company a guaranteed asset of income to add to the list and it gives the trucking firm a wad of cash that they worked hard to earn.

The trucking company will usually need to pick up the invoice and cash it in still, and then make the payments back to the factoring company. Because it’s a confidential agreement, and it can look bad for a business to be involved in this type of short-term finance even though it’s perfectly legal and a very common practice, it’s usually in the hands of the company to get the money for the factor.

This is an extremely old business type and has been used for many years by many different types of work – but none more so than truckers. While you may miss out on a small part of the money , something like 15% depending on who you work with, it means that you are getting the money today and can actually start putting some food on the table.

After all, an IOU or an invoice is not going to be you fed and washed, is it? For trucking companies when the money can be good one day and gone the next, it’s up to the drivers to work sensibly and to ensure they are leaving themselves with a significant amount of time and finance to get through the week until they are paid again.

So the next time your trucking business is having some short-term cash flow issues and you are spending too much time chasing up slow paying clients, why not start considering to use factoring businesses as a way to change your motive and give yourself a more comfortable future in the eyes of your trucking staff and your bank balance?

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

Healthcare Staffing Factoring

The healthcare field is arguably one of the most rapidly growing industries in the United States. With the baby boomers, the largest section of our population, reaching retirement age the need for expanding healthcare services has never been more pronounced.

At the center of this growth are healthcare staffing agencies that hire for hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices and a wide range of medical facilities. However, while business is booming the ability for these staffing agencies to expand is inhibited by the customer invoice system. Fortunately, there are healthcare staffing factoring companies around to help them in their time of need.

We asked the owner of a local healthcare staffing agency, Joy Reed, to talk to us about how factoring companies helped expand her business and provide a much needed boost at a critical time for her company.

“Hello Joy and welcome. I was hoping you would tell us a little about how healthcare staffing factoring companies helped your business, but I suppose we should begin by how you got started in this business?”

Joy Reed (JR), “Thanks for having me. I actually have been a part of several start-up businesses in my recent career and was looking for a field that would show a lot of promise. It was pretty clear to me that medical staffing was a big need in the healthcare field so I set about to start my own business. I had experience in starting up businesses before, so I drew up a business plan, took out a loan, rented the offices and hired a staff to get started.”

“So, you did what most people do in starting up a business. How did it do?”JR: “I actually got off to a pretty good start. I had made a few contacts and managed to get some business right away. This was really helpful because as you might know our clients use invoices for payments and it can take up to 90 days before we actually get the cash in hand. Around four months in we were facing a real crossroads as new opportunities opened up for our business, but we didn’t have the cash on hand to take advantage.”

“I’m a little confused. You say you were doing well, but you didn’t have the ability to expand your business?”

JR: “That’s right. The problem was back to the invoices that were making up wait up to 3 months before we had the cash. I really wanted to expand my staffing business to handle the new opportunities I was being presented, but I couldn’t because I was still waiting on the invoices to finally turn to cash. So I was asking my accountant about what could be done when the suggestion of a healthcare staffing factoring company was introduced.”

“Tell us a bit more about factoring companies.”

JR: “Basically, factoring companies purchase the invoices right on the spot so you can have cash on hand immediately instead of waiting up to three months. For healthcare staffing factoring companies, they will then collect the money from the business when the invoice is read to be fully paid. It really worked out for me because I was able to get cash quickly to add new personnel and even expand my offices to include another section of the building I was renting in.”

“I understand that factoring companies are there for many different kinds of businesses, including medical staffing. Was it difficult to get set up with a factoring company?”

JR: Actually, it was pretty easy once we found a company that met our needs. I just filled out a short form and they looked over a few of the invoices I had to see what companies that I worked with. It really didn’t take long at all before they agreed to cash some of the invoices and I got the money I needed to expand.”

“Could you tell me a little more about the advantages of using a factoring company like this?”

JR: “Sure, I was not only able to hire a couple of new people and rent additional space, I’ve been able to cash my invoices when unexpected bills come up or if I need to make a purchase quickly for a new piece of equipment. This has come in really handy recently when I decided to move to a new location and needed some cash on hand to make the transition. The factoring services are really quite good with reasonable rates and fast service.”

“What’s the differences in using factoring companies over getting a new loan?”

JR: “It is frankly much better than getting a loan because with factoring there is nothing to pay back. We are basically getting our own money from the invoices we’ve earned up front and paying only a small fee. With a loan, I would not only have to pay it back but with interest as well. Factoring for us has really been a godsend when it comes to making decisions about how to expand my business. I’m no longer tied down to waiting 2 to 3 months to get paid when I can take what my business has earned and get cash immediately.”

“I take it that you are happy with how healthcare staffing factoring has worked out for you?”

JR: “You would be correct. I cannot imagine how my business would have expanded at that critical time without factoring companies to buy my invoices. This is a great service that has helped me in my time of need and now my medical staffing business is bigger than ever. I’d recommend factoring companies to anyone running a business that relies on invoices if they need to get cash quickly.”

There is little doubt that Joy Reed has been quite happy about the services she received working with a factoring company. Perhaps factoring is right for you and your needs, be sure to search for the type of factoring business that works in your field so that you can get the right services in helping your company to succeed.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

Bookkeeping Mistakes Commonly Made by Freight Brokers

It’s true that freight brokers shoulder a lot of responsibility; from matching shippers and carriers, to ensuring that each and every piece of cargo arrives at its proper destination. Freight brokers also have the added responsibility of accurate bookkeeping, because failure to prioritize bookkeeping can result in the loss of money.

Below we’ve listed some common bookkeeping mistakes made by freight brokers, and how to avoid them–

Handling the Accounting In-House

Many business owners try to save money by handling the books themselves, or perhaps delegating this very important task to a family member or an inexperienced employee. Sure, you may save time and money initially, but errors can be costly: when you attempt DIY accounting you could well end up with more expensive financing terms, higher bond premiums, or a number of other unforeseen expenses. It’s very important that you hire a competent bookkeeper because, not only will you save money, but you’ll know that the job will be done accurately, quicker, and more efficiently.

We understand only too well that running any business is time-consuming and hard work, and many freight brokers are simply too busy doing their day-to-day tasks to focus on bookkeeping tasks, such as the monthly reconciliation of credit card accounts and bank accounts. It’s through reconciling statements that you get a clear idea of how much credit or cash you actually have, and you can also pick up on any errors that may have occurred.

It can be so tempting to postpone this rather tedious task, but the truth is that your credit card statements and bank statements must be reconciled every month, preferably the moment each statement becomes available. In this way you’ll be able to identify any potential problems in a timely manner; problems such as lost checks, missing deposits, fraudulent charges, and so on.

Failing to Track Invoices and Receivables

You’re not going to get paid if you’re using poor accounting practices with your accounts receivable. Let’s face it, getting paid equals cash, and cash is the lifeblood of every business. An experienced freight broker understands that your cash flow can be strained by the delay between when you pay your carriers and when you receive payment from your customers. If you’re finding that tracking and collecting invoices is taking too long, why not consider invoice factoring? An invoice factoring company will purchase your invoices for a small fee, with the bonus being that you get paid immediately, plus you’re spared the time and expense of having to deal with collections.

Don’t Forget Liabilities

One of the major considerations a surety has when looking at your business financials in order to underwrite a bond is whether you have sufficient assets to cover your liabilities. Many times we see an inexperienced bookkeeper recording a liability, but when the payment is made they forget to reverse the liability. This is a serious error because it results in liabilities being overstated and net income being understated, which makes your business appear to be less financially secure than it really is. These serious errors can be avoided by employing the services of an experienced bookkeeper. We also recommend that you have another set of eyes (which may be an owner or a CPA) regularly review the balance sheet to check for unusual account balances

Too Many Expense Categories

Another common error we often see with inexperienced bookkeepers is creating too many expense categories, or miscategorizing expenses. Generally, most industries and businesses have a standard set of expense categories, and when a loan underwriter or surety sees too many categories, or the miscategorizing of expenses, it stands out like a big red flag. It tells them that your books are not well prepared. Use an accountant or experienced bookkeeper to correctly set up your accounting software right from the beginning, and don’t automatically add new expense categories unless careful consideration has been made. Remember to ask your accountant or CPA for advice, because they’ll be able to guide you on how to classify expenses.

Incomplete Information on Invoices

It’s very important that, when you invoice your customers, you provide sufficient detail on each line item. Do you invoice by weight, per piece, or per mile? Or is the charge a flat fee? If there are additional charges to invoice, such as reimbursements for fuel or fees, these should be listed as separate line items. In addition, these charges must be clearly and accurately detailed in order to avoid any confusion. When you send invoices to your customers that include clear and concise details, it prevents pushback from your clients. If there’s missing information on your invoices and your customers are confused by unrecognizable charges, it could well cause a delay in payment, which is the very last thing business owners need.

Not Understanding the Functionality of Accounting Software

Many freight brokers purchase an accounting software package because they’re anxious to get their business up and running, but they fail to learn how to use it correctly. This is probably not an issue if you’re already outsourcing your accounting and bookkeeping tasks; but if you’re using this software in any way at all, perhaps to enter checks and run reports, it’s important that you spend some time learning how to use all the available functions. When used correctly, the right accounting software can save you a lot of time, in addition to providing real-time information on the state of your business. It’s this information that helps you make important business decisions!

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

How Factoring Saved A Staffing Agency

The Bellosa Temporary & Permanent Hiring Agency has been experiencing a major uptick in business since the unemployment crisis began. The unemployed and underemployed workers have been keeping the phones ringing. The staffing agency is also fielding a lot of calls from employers too, looking for just the right hire. Company President and Vice President, Laurie Bell and Ted Stevens, have not experienced a boom in business since they first opened the doors in 2009, during the recession. They had an idea then that this would be a profitable venture.

The mantra that Laurie and Ted live by is that there’s always going to be people searching for work and of course employers will always be on the lookout for good workers. This is especially true in healthcare staffing, the industry they specialize in. This seemed to be a safe bet for them as they embarked on this venture, but with any small business, the only way to keep the doors open is to keep pressing forward and out perform the competition.

In a relatively short period of time Laurie and Ted had built a nice sized business, they were able to hit the ground running with some brilliant marketing programs and a number of contracts from insiders. They grew rapidly, the timing couldn’t have been better and they were very lucky in this aspect. By the fall of 2011 Laurie and Ted had weathered some ups and downs but they did have some solid clients like a few big insurance companies and a university hospital close by. These clients always paid their invoices on time. But they did start to notice a decrease in accounts receivables from some smaller clients such as rehab centers and private practices.

As winter approached they recalled previous winters and holiday seasons and realized that accounts receivables usually did slow down during this time. Laurie and Ted made the decision to delay their late payments until after the New Year. This plan didn’t really appeal to them as it’s no way to start a New Year, but they seemed to have no other options.

When New Year’s had come and gone they realized that their Accounts Receivables had gone from 30 days past due to 60 days past due. Before meeting with their accountant Scott, they’d decided something had to be done, but they didn’t know what.

Sitting in the conference room with Scott they listened as pulled all the figures up on his iPad saying,“Okay you two, I’ve been looking over the files you sent over and I can certainly see why you’re worried about your late A/Rs but there may be a way to fix this. Do either of you know what factoring is?” Scott inquired.

Laurie and Ted looked at each other quizzically, and then Laurie said “I think it rings a bell, but I’m not really sure. Can you explain it?”

Scott began laying out the details, “You are sitting on a pile of invoices that are past due. The more time that goes by without them being paid, the bigger the bind this puts your business in. It makes it very difficult for you to grow, much less hire anyone new. If you don’t have enough cash coming in . ”

Ted interrupted with, “Then it could make it difficult to take on any new business because we wouldn’t be able to hire the additional personnel we need and meet our weekly payroll. We need an inflow of cash and we really can’t wait. If we have to wait any longer on these invoices we’ll be in trouble.”

Scott jumped in saying, “And this is precisely why I wanted to discuss factoring with you. The factoring company will purchase the invoices you are sitting on that are up to 3 months late, which gives you the cash you need now.” He then showed him a chart on a piece of paper he placed in front of them.

Laurie began to carefully scrutinize it asking, “Is this the fee schedule?”

Scott answered, “Yes it’s all right there. The factoring company makes 1% to 3% of the total amount of each invoice they purchase.”

“That’s sounds like a good deal to me”, Ted said.

The three of them sat there and talked this over for a while and then Laurie and Ted made the decision to go forward realizing this was the best way to keep them afloat. They knew if they couldn’t accommodate all the new clients they were acquiring the competition would get them and they would go down, they could just not afford to turn any business away.

They now needed to fill out an application and submit it to the factoring company and they also needed to show them a few back invoices, undergo a credit check for their company. Credit checks would also need to be done on the companies owing the debts that the factoring company would be purchasing.

It didn’t take long for Bellosa’s credit to be approved and the creditors’ as well. Before long the factoring company purchased the overdue invoices and Laurie and Ted got the influx of cash they needed to cover things and allow them to continue growing their business.

The next time Laurie and Ted met with their accountant Scott, there were smiles all around.Scott said, “I’ve taken a look at your books so I know that factoring was the right solution for you.”

“It worked perfectly”, Laurie stated and went on to say, “The tiny amount we paid out for this influx of cash was certainly worth it.”

Ted chimed in with, “Without a doubt! Whatever the fees were we made back and more since we were now able to hire more personnel so we could take on more business. It worked out for us and for them I would say!”

“That’s what’s great about factoring!” Scott exclaimed with a look of satisfaction on his face.

Rhode Island Factoring Companies Articles

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Discovering Trucking Factoring

Lambert Truck and Haul has been in business since the mid1980s. They've delivered goods for nearly every major industry in the nation and for 20 plus years, business was booming as they've traversed the country in all weather for all clients. During the heady times from 2002 to 2007, Lambert was a top rated accounts receivable mastermind of the trucking industry. Few customers were ever late on bills and those clients who were, were sure to turn in their late payments within a reasonable amount of time. Cash was flowing and times were good for all.

But a short year later, in the fall of 2008, when the United States economy took a nosedive and businesses both small and large began to feel the pinch on their pocketbooks, those that used to make their demands had suddenly and largely gone silent. Business slowed down. And worse yet, Lambert had noticed during the early part of 2008 that though the bulk of their clients were always on time with payments, the few late-bloomers there were, had seemingly started to spread this illness. And as spring turmed to summer and summer into the early days of fall, John Rondstadt, CEO of Lambert felt a chill go down his spine whenever he would look at the weekly A/R reports. The numbers of clients who owed him back debt were growing.

He had gone to his administrators and asked them what the problem had been. Were they doing something wrong or different when it came to reaching out to delinquent accouts? By his bookkeepers records, this wasn't the case. He thought perhaps that he was losing clients to a competitor who offered rock-bottom prices with little to no guarantee of quality performance and the folks who owed Lambert money had jumped ship and decided to leave him holding the bag. They couldn't afford to pay him their debt, but they could afford a lesser service, maybe. But after doing the cursory research for this and talking to friends in the field, he found that alas, no, customers of Lambert hadn't gone elsewhere. They had just gone home.

The situation looked dire to John Rondstadt. He had employees to pay, goods to ship, trucks to maintain and overhead that was almost unbearable when compared against the lack of funds that were coming in. At night he would speak to his wife Linda and shake his head in frustration. ""I have a bad feeling, Lin,"" he would say with deep woe.""Well, what do you think it is?"" she would ask.

John would stare off for a moment and then close eyes. He could see the fleet of trucks he had purchased over the years. He could see them traveling, bringing goods to all of his clients. But somewhere, a haze would form over his fleet and the vast number of vehicles would disappear to but a few. What could cause this ultimate death spiral of business?

""I know what it is,"" John said. ""I've relied too long on the profits I receive from invoices alone. I've let too many of our customers go too long without paying on their bills.""Rhonda could only grab her husband's hand and look at him lovingly, ""It's a hard economy. It might be awhile until things get settled up.""John knew his wife meant well, but he knew that he was responsible for too many people to sit idly by, waiting for the sun to peak over the clouds.

The next day John strolled into his office and was determined to sit down and make every phone call to every client who had owed Lambert money. Now, it wasn't the most efficient way to spend a day as a chief executive, what he really needed to be doing was to be overseeing all of the other intricacies of shipment and delivery and reaching out to prospective clients or retraining his sales team to do the same. Even though he was doing something to help his company, he knew he had folks on salary to do just this thing. Wasting money, wasting time - even with the best of intentions, John knew that he was in trouble.

After a half day of contacting debtors in vain - they dodged his calls or promised to call back at worst or made minimal interest-only payments at best - he was about to throw in the towel when his secretary Beverley knocked at his door.""John, can I have a word?"" she asked standing in the doorway.

""Sure thing Bev, come on in."" John leaned back in his chair and looked expectantly at Beverely. ""Well, I did a little searching this afternoon and tried to figure out a way out of this mess John."" She pulled a small stack of papers from a folder and set them on the desk before him. ""Have you ever heard of factoring?"" Beverley asked.""It sounds vaguely familiar. What is it?"" he said. ""Well,"" she began, ""Its actually quite simple really. So basically, factoring invoices would enable us to get paid on the nose for loads that we haul.""""Immediately?"" John interrupted.

""Yes, immediately,"" she continued, ""In a nutshell, it's pretty easy. We can have an expert account manager review our numbers and help us complete a company profile. That profile will also include investigating our accounts receivable aging reports, our existing customer credit limits and so on. Additionally, the factoring will help to determine the creditworthiness of our customers independent of their credit history with our business. It’s a broad view.”

“I see,” John said. “And then what?”“Well, after their review, and we’re approved for a factoring contract, we can negotiate terms and conditions. There’s a lot of flexibility depending on the business volume and credit histories. This company tells us what the cost will be to purchase factoring for our accounts receivable. We come to an agreement and the funding starts pouring out.”John leaned forward and reviewed the paperwork closely.

""It sounds too good to be true, Bev,"" he said. ""Now, now, I know, I thought the same thing. But really, they have guaranteed us experts that do all the legwork, which would free us up here to focus on our clients in good standing and marketing, all that good stuff. And they're flexible John,"" she underlined a paragraph on the paper before him. ""How flexible?"" he asked. ""They personalize the factoring rates so that the amount they are willing to take on is commensurate with our needs and our client’s debt. It only takes 2 to 4 days for this to be figured out.

""That sounds pretty good, seeing as we tapped ourselves out with bank loans last year to repair the fleet and money sure is tight. We need to keep business rolling as normal and every day we’re going unpaid, we’re closer to facing some serious problems in both the short and long term,"" John said.

He took a deep breath and looked at his secretary with something she recognized as hope.""Exactly”. I think this might just be a way out of the trouble we're in with these folks who owe us money.""John thought about this and agreed with Beverley. The clients who owed them money were long standing friends and professional resources of Lambert. They didn't want to throw away these relationships because they were having trouble paying their bills now. John knew that the economy had taken a hit and he knew that it would probably be a long time before things started to look up again. That unknown amount of time, if he handled these debtors incorrectly, could spell disaster for both of them. He didn't want to lose business but he also didn't want to lose any more money.

""Well, let me think about this tonight Bev, thank you."" Bev nodded, stood up and left the office feeling that she had helped her employer keep on his shirt and hers too.John sat behind his desk and looked over the details Bev had not mentioned in their meeting. What other issues could freight factoring help Lambert with? With his pencil gliding down the sheet he noticed that the factoring company could help fray the cost of fuel with fuel discount cards and fuel advances. In fact, Lambert could receive up to fifty-percent cash advances upon load pick-ups. As a man who hated binding contracts with no room to breathe, he was pleased to see that this factoring company would not make him sign a long term contract, would not make him pay any sign up fees and there was no minimum volume required.

""Well, I'll have to tell Billy about this,"" John muttered to himself.His son-in-law Billy had liked the idea of Lambert so much and revered his father in law for having such business acumen that only two years before, he had gathered the venture capital to begin his own transportation service company. John knew then what struggles Billy would face but he encouraged him nonetheless. With the faltering economy, if a big fish like Lambert was hurting, a little guy like Billy was about to catch his death. But, an antidote may have been found in freight factoring and John was soon to find out. A few months later after going through the entire application process and having the experts review his accounts receivable, credit history and statements, John found himself beginning to dig his way out of the hole his delinquent account holders had created for him.

They took on reasonable factoring purchase contracts and stopped spending their precious man hours scrambling to collect debt. They took that time and refocused effort to offering competitive prices in new territories. John looked back on the dismal months of life before freight factoring and almost shuddered at the thought. Had he missed the boat on this one, he probably wouldn't be in business today.